Air-borne autogyro toy



Dec. 22, 1964 A. E. JUNKER 3,161,988

AIR-BORNE AUTOGYRO TOY Filed May 28, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NV EN TOR.Z5 fl/"flold 5 Junker 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 28, 1962 INVENTOR.fl/wold 1 Junker United States Patent Conn.

Filed hiay 28, 1962, Ser. No. 198,633 6 Claims. (Cl. 46-75) Thisinvention relates to airborne toys, and more particularly to toys ofthis type which are held captive and are hand-guided.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved air-borne toy ofthe captive, hand-guided type, which combines impeller blades and anon-turning figure in a novel manner to enable each to readily carry outits function in the most expedient manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved,guided and captive air-borne toy as above set forth, wherein thenon-turning figure portion may be advantageously that of an animateobject, as for example an astronaut.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved toy as abovecharacterized, which arouses a great deal of interest and enthusiasm inchildren, and which tends to hold their interest for an appreciableperiod of time.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved toy inaccordance with the foregoing, which is safe in use, durable and notlikely to easily get out of order.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of animproved air-borne, captive, hand-guided toy as set forth, wherein thereare relatively few parts which may be easily and quickly assembled, andwherein the manufacturing and fabrication cost is low.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, similar characters ofreference are used to designate like components, throughout the severalviews, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the air-borne captive toy as provided bythe invention, illustrating one embodiment thereof.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the toy, shown on a reduced scale.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hand-powered driving mechanism forthe toy, with the casing thereof illustrated in broken outline.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section of the impellerblade andnon-turning figure assembly of the to, illustrating the interiordetails.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the toy illustrated therein comprise-sessentially three salient parts or assemblies, a handpowered drivingassembly indicated generally by the numeral Iii, a power transmittingflexible cable 12, and an impeller blade and figure assembly designated14.

As shown in FIG. 3, the driving assembly comprises a rigid frame 16having a U-shaped crossed member having upstanding bearing arms 22 inwhich there is carried a shaft 24 having a handle portion or offset 26provided with a turnable handle proper 28. i

The frame member 18 has a stationary second handle 30 at one end, and atits other end has an upstanding post or stanchion 32 provided with abearing enlargement 34 in which a spiral coil spring 36 is looselyreceived. The coil spring 36 constitutes the flexible driving element ofthe cable assemblage, and at its one end is fixedly secured to a pinion38 which is turnably carried by a relatively stiff but flexible wire 4%constituting the second element of the cable. The wire it? is supportedin a second upright or stanchion 42 carried by the frame member 18, andis also supported at another point 44 on the frame member, adjacent thehandle 36 thereof. For this latter purpose, the end of the wire 40 isbent downward, as shown. The entire hand-powered driving assemblageshown in FIG. 3 is enclosed in a suitable casing 46, details of whichare not given herein since they per se constitute no part of the presentinvention.

On the shaft 24 there is fixedly secured a driving gear 46 which mesheswith the pinion 33 and by which the latter may be turned in response toturning of the handle 26, 28.

With the above organization, when the driving device is held with thehandle 33 in one hand and the handle 26, 28 turned with the other handthe driving spring 36 will be turned by virtue of its driving connectionwith the pinion 33, such spring being turnably supported or carried onthe non-turning wire 46.

Considering now FIGS. 1 and 4, the impeller blade and non-turning figureassemblage of the toy comprises a hub 5% which is fixedly attached tothe other end of the driving spring 36 to be rotated thereby. On the hub50 are relatively long, flexible impeller blades 52 which may beminature versions of well known helicopter blades. The supporting wire40 which extends through and carries the driving coil spring 36 passesupward through the hub 54 and ha an upward projecting terminal portion54, on which there is carried a means 56 constituting a portion of afigure, such figure in the illustrated embodiment of the inventionsimulating an astronaut. The figure 56 has an internal bearing sleeveportion 58 adapted to receive the upstanding extremity 54 of the Wire llwhereby the figure is supported above the hub 5i) and prevented fromturning by its frictional engagement with the wire 40, 54. It will beseen that the figure 56 may be easily lifted from the wire extension 54and replaced by other figures representing or simulating other objects,either animate or inanimate.

in accordance with the present invention, at a point adjacent and belowthe turnable hub 50, the supporting bearing wire as has a gradual rightangle bend indicated generally by the numeral 62. By virtue of theflexible nature of the coil spring 35, such spring readily follows thisbend and at the same time transmits motion in spite of the curvatureimparted to it by the bend.

Accordingly, as seen in FIG. 2, with the cable 12 stretched out in asubstantially horizontal position, the hub 50 and the blades 52 will bedisposed with their axes substantially vertical, whereby turning of thehub and blades. will impart an upward force or lift to thebladeand-ligure assemblage.

Further, in accordance with the invention, there is provided a secondmeans constituting a figure which may simulate various objects, disposedbelow the hub 50 and turnably carried thereby, the said second meanshowever being prevented from turning by a stop element which it has, andwhich is engageable with the flexible cable 12. As shown in the figure,the second means simulates the lower portion of the body of anastronaut, being indicated generally by the numeral 66.

The hub 50 has a depending bearing portion 68 with a retainer shoulder'79, on which the means 66 is rotatably carried. One of the dependinglegs 72 of the means 66 will constitute the said stop by virtue ofitsengagement with the bent portion of the flexible cable 12.Accordingly, as the hub 50 and blades 52 are caused to rotate, there isa tendency for the lower portion of the astronauts body to also rotatebut such rotation will be prevented by virtue of engagement of said oneof the as- -trc-nauts legs with the driving cable 12. Such engagement,however, will not appreciably hinder the turning movement of the hub 50and blade 52, as will be readily understood.

The cable wire 40 may be advantageously constituted of spring steelstock, this being also true of the driving helical coil 36. The impellerblades 52 may be constituted of either metal or plastic, and arepreferably provided with soft rubber tips '76 to prevent injury if theblade tips should inadvertently come in contact with a person. Thefigure portions 56 and 66 may be constituted in any suitable manner, ofeither thin metal, molded plastic or the like. Preferably, as seen inFIG. 4, a slot or cut 73 is provided in the lower figure portion, andsuch portion is formed to be resilient or flexible. By virtue of thisconstruction it may be spread apart to remove it from the dependingbearing portion 68 for replacement with other figures.

In operation, the user grasps the handle 39 in one hand, and turns thehandle portion 2a, 23 with the other hand This will cause the hub 5t)and rotor blades 52 to turn, imparting a lifting force to the assemblage14. By guiding or variously positioning the driving assemblagecomprising the casing 48 and handle 30, such action will be transmittedto the blade and figure assemblage through the stationary wire component40 of the cable 12, whereby the figure may be made. to execute variousmaneuvers, travelling not' only vertically upward and downward, but alsosideways and in angular directions.

It will now be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a unique andnovel, interesting air-borne captive toy for children, which is dynamicin its function and provides a high degree of interest. The toy alsoinvolves a certain" amount of skill in its use, by virtue of the guidingfunction of the cable 12. Since it is relatively small and of lightweight, there is little danger in its use, especially Where light-weightand soft plastic materials are utilized. The toy is further of durableconstruction, and involves relatively few components whereby it maybeeconomically fabricated and'produced.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims,and portions of the improvement may be used without others.

1. An air-borne toy comprising, in combination:

(a) an elongate non-rotative wire-like element,

(12) a' non-rotative lateral extension fixedly carried at one end of thewire-like element, said element and extension together constituting anon-turning angu- 4 lar configuration adapted to be positioned with theextension substantially upright and the element extending in ahorizontal direction,

(0) an elongate flexible sleeve-like turnable drive member encirclingboth the wire-like element and the said extension,

(d) means for rotatably driving the sleeve-like member while thewire-like element and extension thereof are held against turning,

(e) impeller blades rotatable on the said lateral extension as an axis,

(3) means driving said blades in response to turning of the sleeve-likemember, and

(g) means located below the impeller blades and constituting a structurerepresenting a figure, said structure being carried and turnably mountedan said lateral extension and including spaced depending portionsengaging opposite sides of the sleeve-like member to prevent the figurefrom turning when the drive member and impeller blades are turning.

2. A toy as in claim 1, wherein:

(a) there is a second non-turning means constituting a figure, fixedlymounted on the lateral extension above the impeller blades.

3. A toy as in claim 2, wherein:

(a) the lateral extension comprises a slim shaft, and

(b) the said second means has a bore adapted to frictionally receive theslim shaft so as to removably mount the second means thereon.

4. A toy as in claim 1, wherein:

(a) the spaced depending portion of the first means constituting afigure simulate the lower leg portions of an animate object.

5. A toy as in claim 4, wherein:

(a) there is a said second means constituting a figure simulating theupper portion of the animate object.

6. A toy as in claim 5, wherein:

(a) the first and second means are constituted to simu late the body ofan astronaut.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS

1. AN AIR-BORNE TOY COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) AN ELONGATENON-ROTATIVE WIRE-LIKE ELEMENT, (B) A NON-ROTATIVE LATERAL EXTENSIONFIXEDLY CARRIED AT ONE END OF THE WIRE-LIKE ELEMENT, SAID ELEMENT ANDEXTENSION TOGETHER CONSTITUTIING A NON-TURNING ANGULAR CONFIGURATIONADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED WITH THE EXTENSION SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT ANDTHE ELEMENT EXTENDING IN A HORIZONTAL DIRECTION, (C) AN ELONGATEFLEXIBLE SLEEVE-LIKE TURNABLE DRIVE MEMBER ENCIRCLING BOTH THE WIRE-LIKEELEMENT AND THE SAID EXTENSION, (D) MEANS FOR ROTATABLY DRIVING THESLEEVE-LIKE MEMBER WHILE THE WIRE-LIKE ELEMENT AND EXTENSION THEREOF AREHELD AGAINST TURNING, (E) IMPELLER BLADES ROTATABLE ON THE SAID LATERALEXTENSION AS AN AXIS, (F) MEANS DRIVING SAID BLADES IN RESPONSE TOTURNING OF THE SLEEVE-LIKE MEMBER, AND (G) MEANS LOCATED BELOW THEIMPELLER BLADES AND CONSTITUTING A STRUCTURE REPRESENTING A FIGURE, SAIDSTRUCTURE BEING CARRIED AND TURNABLE MOUNTED AN SAID LATERAL EXTENSIONAND INCLUDING SPACED DEPENDING PORTIONS ENGAGING OPPOSITE SIDES OF THESLEEVE-LIKE MEMBER TO PREVENT THE FIGURE FROM TURNING WHEN THE DRIVEMEMBER AND IMPELLER BLADES ARE TURNING.